TL;DR: To back up an Android phone, open Settings > Google > All services > Backup, turn on Backup by Google One and tap Back up now. That saves your apps, call history, contacts, settings and texts to your Google Account. Photos and videos are separate: turn on Backup in the Google Photos app. Every Google Account gets 15 GB free, and 100 GB costs $1.99 a month in the US. Galaxy owners can also use Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch to a PC or Mac, and anyone can copy files to a Windows PC over USB for an offline copy.
Last updated: November 11, 2026. By Veer. Checked against Google’s Android, Google Photos and Google One help pages, Samsung’s US support pages and WhatsApp’s Help Center. This is a researched guide built from official documentation, not a hands-on test of every phone.
Phones get lost, dropped in the sink and reset. The good news is that Android already has a free backup built in, and most people only need to switch on two things. The catch is knowing what that backup covers, because photos, WhatsApp chats and downloaded files each live in different places.
This guide walks through the five free ways to back up an Android phone, what each one saves, and the order we’d use them in before a factory reset or a switch to a new phone.
How do I back up my Android phone?
The quickest way to back up an Android phone is Google’s built-in backup plus Google Photos. Turn on Backup by Google One in Settings for your apps, contacts, texts and settings, then turn on Backup in Google Photos for your pictures and videos. Both run automatically once they’re on.
Here’s how the five methods compare:
| Method | What it saves | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google backup (Backup by Google One) | Apps and app data, call history, contacts, device settings, SMS and MMS | Free up to 15 GB of Google storage | Every Android phone |
| Google Photos backup | Photos and videos | Uses the same 15 GB; 100 GB is $1.99/month | Your camera roll |
| Samsung Cloud | Calls, messages, contacts, calendar, settings, home screen, apps, voice recordings | Free (Temporary Cloud Backup has no size limit for 30 days) | Galaxy to Galaxy |
| Samsung Smart Switch to PC, Mac or USB drive | A full local copy of supported data | Free | Galaxy owners who want an offline copy |
| USB cable to a computer | Photos, videos, downloads, documents, music | Free | An offline copy of your files on any Android |
How do I turn on Google backup on Android?
Open Settings, tap Google, then All services, and under “Backup and restore” tap Backup. Turn on Backup by Google One and tap Back up now. Menu names vary a little by brand, so on some phones you’ll find it under Settings > System > Backup.
According to Google’s Android Help page on backups, this backup includes:
- Apps and app data
- Call history
- Contacts
- Device settings
- SMS and MMS messages
It also picks up extra data from Google’s own apps: RCS chats if you use Google Messages, and call settings and blocked numbers if you use Phone by Google. If you’ve set up spam blocking with our Android spam calls guide, those blocked numbers come along to your next phone.
Google says a backup “can take up to 24 hours” to finish. Two other details matter. Use a PIN, pattern or password rather than a swipe, because some backed-up data is end-to-end encrypted with your screen lock. And you can’t use this backup on a work profile or a company-owned phone.
What does Google backup not save?
Google’s device backup doesn’t include your photos and videos, files in your Downloads folder, or chats inside most third-party messaging apps. Google also warns that “not all apps can back up or restore all settings and data,” so some apps will start fresh on a new phone.
The usual gaps, and how to fill them:
| Not covered by device backup | How to save it |
|---|---|
| Photos and videos | Google Photos backup (or Samsung Cloud, Smart Switch or USB) |
| WhatsApp chats | WhatsApp’s own Chat backup |
| Downloads, PDFs, music files | Google Drive upload or a USB copy to a computer |
| Two-factor codes in an authenticator app | That app’s own export or cloud sync |
| Some games and banking apps | Sign back in; check the app’s own help |
If you use an authenticator app for logins, sort that out first. Losing it is the most painful mistake on this list. Our guide to whether SMS two-factor is safe explains why app-based codes are worth moving carefully.
How do I back up photos on Android?
Open the Google Photos app, tap your profile picture, then Photos settings > Backup, and turn Backup on. When the status at the top of your library reads “Backup complete,” every photo and video is in your Google Account.
Google Photos Help lists the limits: photos up to 200 MB or 200 MP, and videos up to 10 GB. It only backs up your camera folder by default, so check Back up device folders if you want screenshots, WhatsApp images or other folders included.
Photos is usually what fills your free storage. Your 15 GB is shared across Google Photos, Gmail and Google Drive. These are the current US prices on Google One’s plans page:
| Plan | Storage | US price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 15 GB | $0 |
| Basic | 100 GB | $1.99/month |
| Google AI Plus | 2 TB | $9.99/month |
| Google AI Pro | 5 TB | $19.99/month |
UK prices are in pounds and shown on the same page when you visit from the UK. For most people with a few years of photos, the 100 GB plan is enough. If you’re already weighing an AI plan for Gemini, our best AI subscription guide covers whether the storage bundle is worth it.
How do I back up a Samsung Galaxy phone?
On a Galaxy, open Settings, tap your Samsung account name, then Samsung Cloud > Back up data, pick what to include and tap Back up now. You can also leave automatic backup on, which runs once a day when the phone is charging, on Wi-Fi and has the screen off.
Samsung’s US support page says Samsung Cloud covers call logs, messages and settings, with a 1 GB limit per file. The Samsung Cloud page lists the full set: call and message history, contacts and calendar saved on the phone, alarms, settings such as Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth pairings, your home screen layout, apps and Voice Recorder files.
Samsung also offers Temporary Cloud Backup for when you buy, reset or repair a phone. It keeps photos, videos, apps, audio and documents “with no storage limit for up to 30 days,” so you can move everything without paying for extra space. It doesn’t cover data on an SD card or USB drive.
You don’t have to choose. Many Galaxy owners run Google backup and Samsung Cloud side by side, since Google’s copy also works if your next phone isn’t a Samsung.
How do I back up an Android phone to a PC?
Plug the phone into a Windows PC with a USB cable, unlock it, tap the “Charging this device via USB” notification and choose File Transfer. Your phone opens as a drive in File Explorer, and you can drag the DCIM (camera), Pictures, Download and Documents folders to your computer.
Those steps come from Google’s file transfer help page, which also covers Chromebooks and Quick Share for Windows. If nothing shows up, Google suggests trying another cable, since “not all USB cables can transfer files.” Our USB-C cables explainer explains why some cables only charge.
A USB copy only grabs files. It won’t save your texts, call history or app data, so treat it as an extra copy of your photos and documents on top of Google backup.
For a fuller computer backup on a Galaxy, use Samsung Smart Switch on a Windows PC or Mac. Install it on both devices, connect the cable, tap Allow on the phone and click Backup on the computer. Samsung says it needs Windows 10 or later or macOS 10.9 or later, and it doesn’t work on Chromebooks. Smart Switch can also back up straight to a microSD card or USB flash drive from the phone. Google’s help page doesn’t give USB steps for a Mac, so on a non-Samsung phone a Mac user is better off with Google Photos and Drive.
Coming from an iPhone household too? Our guide to backing up an iPhone to a PC without iTunes covers the Apple side.
How do I back up WhatsApp on Android?
In WhatsApp, go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup, choose your Google Account and tap Back up. Set the schedule to daily so you never lose more than a day of chats.
WhatsApp’s Help Center says backups can go to your Google Account or to WhatsApp’s own cloud storage, a newer option it’s still rolling out. You can also turn on an end-to-end encrypted backup protected by a passkey, a password or a 64-digit key. Write that down somewhere safe, because WhatsApp says it’s “the only way to access your backup.” Chats restore only from the last successful backup, so run one by hand right before you switch phones.
How do I back up before a factory reset?
Before a factory reset, run each backup by hand and confirm it finished. Tap Back up now in Settings, check that Google Photos says “Backup complete,” run a WhatsApp backup and move any downloaded files to a computer or Google Drive.
Our pre-reset checklist:
- Settings > Google > All services > Backup > Back up now, and wait until it’s done.
- Google Photos: status shows Backup complete.
- WhatsApp and other chat apps: manual backup.
- Authenticator app: export or move your accounts.
- Copy Downloads and Documents to a PC or Drive.
- Make sure you know your Google Account password, because the phone asks for it after a reset.
Google also notes that you can’t restore a backup onto a phone running an older Android version than the one that made it. If you’re selling an old handset such as a phone covered in our Pixel 6 end of support guide, update your new phone first, then restore.
Verdict
For most people, backing up an Android phone takes two switches: Backup by Google One in Settings and Backup in Google Photos. Add WhatsApp’s chat backup if you use it, and Samsung Cloud if you own a Galaxy. Then, every few months, copy your photos to a computer over USB so you have one copy that isn’t in the cloud. Pay for the $1.99 100 GB plan only when the free 15 GB fills up.
FAQ
Does Android automatically back up?
Only if backup is turned on. Most phones offer it during setup, but check Settings > Google > All services > Backup and make sure Backup by Google One is on. Photos need a separate switch in Google Photos.
Does Google backup save text messages?
Yes. Google’s device backup includes SMS and MMS messages, and RCS chats too if you use Google Messages. They restore when you sign in to the same Google Account on a new phone.
How much storage do I need to back up my Android phone?
Every Google Account gets 15 GB free, shared across Google Photos, Gmail and Drive. Device backups are usually small; photos and videos take most of the room. In the US, 100 GB costs $1.99 a month.
Can I back up my Android phone without Google?
Yes. On a Samsung Galaxy, use Samsung Cloud or Smart Switch to a PC, Mac or USB drive. On any Android, copy files to a Windows PC or Chromebook over USB using File Transfer mode, though that only saves files, not texts or app data.
How long does an Android backup take?
Google says a device backup can take up to 24 hours to finish, and restoring on a new phone can also take up to 24 hours. Photo backup depends on your library size and connection.
Why can’t I restore my Android backup?
The most common reason is the Android version: you can’t restore a backup onto a phone running an older Android version than the one that made it. Update the new phone first. Backups also aren’t available on work profiles or company-owned phones.
Sources checked November 11, 2026: Google Android Help (backup and restore, file transfer), Google Photos Help, Google One plans, Samsung US Support and Samsung Cloud, and the WhatsApp Help Center. We haven’t run our own backup tests for this guide.
